Work with content blocks

Make edits to your documents by adding or removing content blocks directly in the online editor.

NoneStatic PDF documents cannot be edited.

You can only work with content blocks in PDFs converted to editable documents,¹ documents generated by the ValidMind Library, or documents created in the ValidMind Platform.

¹ Manage documents

What are content blocks?

Content blocks are modular document template components, used to populate your documents:

• Content blocks are empty canvases that you fill in with text and test results.
• Content blocks are inserted into document templates that define the structure of your documents.²

² Working with templates

Content block types

Content blocks can be new, blank blocks, or prepopulated via your library of logged test or metric results and text block templates:

simple text block new, from library

Can be added anywhere on documents and edited to include additional documentation in text format.

test-driven block from library

Can be added within documents to display one of the supported test results collected by the ValidMind Library.

metric over time block from library

Can be added within ongoing monitoring reports to display one of the supported metric over time results collected by the library.

Content editing toolbar

Content editing toolbar

The content editing toolbar is a rich text editor that enables you to:

• Undo or redo changes
• Format your text, including adding hyperlinks and code blocks
• Reference related record and artifact field values with variables³
• Insert LaTeX formulas⁴
• Reference other sections of the document⁵
• Attach images via upload or URL

³ Reference field values

⁴ Insert mathematical formulas

⁵ Reference document sections

⁶ Collaborate with others

You can also use the toolbar to suggest changes, save named versions of content, and leave comments.⁶

NoneStuck on where to start?

Use ​ValidMind to assist you with generating content via AI!⁷

⁷ Generate content drafts with AI

Prerequisites

• You are logged in to ValidMind.
• There are records registered in the inventory.⁸
• Documents exist and are completed or are in progress for your record.⁹
• You are a Developer or Validator, or assigned another role with sufficient permissions to perform the tasks in this guide.¹⁰

⁸ Register records in the inventory

⁹ Working with documents

¹⁰ Manage permissions

Add content blocks

1. In the left sidebar, click Inventory.

2. Select a record or find your record by applying a filter or searching for it.¹¹

3. In the left sidebar that appears for your record, click Documents and select the Latest tab.¹²

4. Click on the document file you want to add a content block to.¹³

5. Click on a section header to expand that section and add content.

6. Hover your mouse over the space where you want your new block to go until a horizontal line with a sign appears that indicates you can insert a new block:

   

   Adding a content block in the ValidMind Platform

¹¹ Working with the inventory

¹² Work with document versions

¹³ Working with documents

6. Click and then select one of the available options:

   new

   Text Block

   Adds a new section with a blank content block.

   from library

   Text Block

   Inserts a text block from a template in your block library:¹⁴

   1. Select the reusable blocks you want to add.
   2. Click Insert # Text Block(s) to Document.

   Test-Driven¹⁵

   Adds a new section with logged test results.

   Metric Over Time¹⁶

   Adds a new section with logged metric over time results.

7. After adding the block to your document, click on the text to make changes or add comments.¹⁷

¹⁴ Manage text block library

¹⁵ Work with test results

¹⁶ Work with metrics over time

¹⁷ Collaborate with others

Reference field values

While editing a simple text block within documents, you can reference values in the form of variables from:

• To reference field values in the form of variables, your organization must not have tracked changes enabled by default.¹⁸
• Note that while you are able to select fields with empty values within available record or artifact type fields, no value will be displayed in the content block until the field is populated.

¹⁸ Managing your organization

• The associated record’s inventory fields¹⁹
• Fields from artifacts logged on the associated record²⁰

¹⁹ Edit inventory fields

²⁰ Add and manage artifacts

1. Click { } Insert Variable in the toolbar while editing a content block.

2. Select the variable you want to reference from the drop-down menus:

   • record — Record field values by field group.
   • {artifact type} — Artifact field values grouped by artifact type, where {artifact type} represents the name of your artifact type. Only types of artifacts already logged on the associated record will appear in this selection.

3. Click away from the content block to apply your changes, and confirm that the correct variable value is displayed in the content block as expected.

Insert mathematical formulas

While editing a simple text block within documents, you can insert math equations using the formula editor:

1. Click \(f(x)\) in the toolbar while editing a content block.

2. Enter your LaTeX formula in the text box and confirm that the Equation preview generates as expected:²¹

   • To insert the equation inline, leave Display mode untoggled.
   • To insert the equation on its own line, toggle Display mode on.

   

   The two formula display modes

3. Click to add the equation to your content block.

²¹ 

Equation preview in the formula editor

Generate content drafts with AI

While editing a simple text block within documents, you can have ​ValidMind assist you with generating content drafts.

NoneHow can generate content drafts with AI?

• To use the generate content drafts with AI feature, your organization must not have tracked changes enabled by default.²²
• Generating content drafts works best after you’ve logged tests with the ValidMind Library,²³ as existing test descriptions and results provide more context for the ​ValidMind AI Content Builder to draw upon.

²³ Run tests and test suites

²² Managing your organization

To generate content drafts:

1. Click in the content editing toolbar and select (Generate Text with AI).

2. Enter a custom prompt and click Send, or click Generate Content to compose a draft for review.

   You can also include record attachments in .pdf format²⁴ as context documents:

   1. Click and select Add Document to Context.
   2. Check off the attachment files you would like to include as extra context.
   3. Click Add to Context to include your selected attachments alongside your prompt to assist in text generation.

3. Review the draft composed by the ​ValidMind AI Content Builder for accuracy and relevance, then:

   • Click Insert to document to add the draft into your content block.
   • Or, submit a different prompt in the dialogue box and click Send to regenerate a different draft.

4. After you insert the AI-generated draft, click on the text box to make the necessary edits and adjustments to your copy:

   • Ensure that content is in compliance with the quality guidelines outlined by your organization.
   • Use the content editing toolbar²⁵ just as you would with any other text block.

²⁴ Edit inventory fields

²⁵ Content editing toolbar

²⁶ View record activity

When generating content drafts with AI, accepted versions and edits are retained in your Activity²⁶ just like other updates to your documents.

NoneWhat context is available in content blocks?

When you generate content, the content builder uses the following context:

• Template guidelines — Instructions from the document template for the current section
• Record metadata:
  • Record name
  • Record purpose
  • Record use
  • Record ID
  • Record fields
• Record document content — Text blocks and test result descriptions from your document (figures and tables are not included)

Reference document sections

While editing a simple text block within documents, you can directly reference other sections of the document and create hyperlinks to those sections:

From the content block editor

1. In any simple text block, type # to retrieve the table of contents for the document you’re editing.

2. Select the title of the section you want to reference from the drop-down menu.

3. After you click out of the content block editor, click on the hyperlink to verify that it navigates you to the correct section as expected.

Using the content toolbar

1. Click in the content editing toolbar.

2. Select Insert Reference.

3. Select the title of the section you want to reference from the drop-down menu.

4. After you click out of the content block editor, click on the hyperlink to verify that it navigates you to the correct section as expected.

Hyperlinks will also take you to the referenced section in PDF document exports.²⁷

²⁷ Export documents

Remove content blocks

Test-driven or metric over time blocks can be re-added later on but text blocks are currently deleted permanently.

1. In the left sidebar, click Inventory.

2. Select a record or find your record by applying a filter or searching for it.²⁸

3. In the left sidebar that appears for your record, click Documents and select the Latest tab.²⁹

4. Click on the document file you want to remove a block from.³⁰

5. Click on a section header to expand that section and remove content.

6. Locate the block you want to remove, and hover over it until the block’s toolbar appears in the top right-hand corner.

7. Select Delete to remove the block.

8. Click Yes, Remove Block to confirm permanent deletion of that block.

²⁸ Working with the inventory

²⁹ Work with document versions

³⁰ Working with documents